SWEET REVENGE [ ON HOLD ]

CHAPTER 1 : ALL IS WELL

Each stroke of the brush helped me calm my mind down. Art always had that soothing effect on me. As the painting got a definite shape, I got a hold of my fear. 'ALL IS WELL' I chanted.

The day's newspaper lay on the side table in my room. That article on the front page was my main concern at the moment as I was "the lady" they were referring to in the paper.

My name is Aarya Pareek and I am 38 years old. It's my story you will be reading from here. My story is closely linked with my passion, MY ART. And that's how I want you to known me as, an artist.

Art had kept me sane during my crazy years. Art had been my means to amaze another person and make them smile. Most importantly art had been the means of bread and butter for my family.

I worked day and night to make small handmade gifts people could buy to give others. I had chosen to do this work not because I was good at it. I choose it because it was the only skill I possessed to earn an extra penny. I had the skill to create a world with crayons.

'Color pencils are your magic wand' my friends often teased me. I would beam every time they would tell that. It filled me with pride. I could do magic! I never realized it then that I would take up art as my second career one day.

I was a school teacher in the neighborhood school. I loved teaching. It fills me with joy to see the amazement of a student on learning how the world worked. There were days I would beam the whole day when the students realized simple things like why the sun always ran from one side of the sky to the other. Or why the sky stored water in buckets which had holes.

It was during this time I met my good luck charm. I had just joined work as a primary teacher. Being young I had no experience in handling 20 naughty, overzealous kids at once. During my second week the teachers were briefed to take their class to watch a circus show at a moving carnival. Crazy jokers, energetic students and an inexperienced teacher. I will let you imagine my failure to watch over the students.

A dazzled little girl followed a joker after the show. Her best friend started crying when the girl went missing. By the time I could calm her down to tell me what was wrong, it had been long enough for a little girl to have wandered to any place in the carnival. Panic rose high. I was scared to inform this to the school management and the parents of the child. When I was about to call for help I saw a young woman of my age carry the missing girl towards me. Relief washed over me.

"I realised she was a student from the school and brought her over" she soothed me. Aah! Bless the school uniforms for once. As she set the girl down, the best friends hugged each other and were giggling. "By the way, I am Kushi Meka."

I instantly liked the girl and we went on to be great friends from that instant. When we found out we stayed close by, I started spending most of my free time at her house. She was a lively young person who had moved to this town after marrying the love of her life against her parents' wishes. We would speak for hours while watching her son play nearby.

It was her birthday that day and I gifted her a handmade jewelry box as I had no cash to buy anything.
"Aarya this looks fabulous" she shrieked in excitement. I felt the familiar pride after a long time.
"Thanks. I made it just for you." I told her.
She stopped in her tracks at my reply, "You made this?"
"Yes" I was perplexed now. Why is she so shocked?
"You have this great talent and still you complain you have no cash?"

This idea she gave helped me become what I am today. That idea had helped me, a single mother; provide food, shelter and education to my four kids. Well I had only three kids but I had adopted Kushi's son after both Kushi and her husband had died leaving their son alone.

I loved the life I had built here. My kids, my job and my art. But that article was about to spoil everything I had built in 20 years. Now they were going to come looking for me. Now I will have to face the people I ran away from 20 years ago.

'ALL IS WELL' I chanted again. That time you were alone. Now you have a family which will stand by your side. 'ALL IS WELL'.

It was then that my office door was opened with a bang. Rohan, my eldest son - Kushi's son - stood in the door way panting. "The article", he spoke trying to catch his breath, "it's all around the web". He held up his phone to prove his point.

"I just hope the media does not come here searching for me." I sighed. "The media will..."

"...bring them to our door step" he put words to my fear.
.
.
But...

'ALL IS WELL ALL IS WELL ALL IS WELL ALL IS WELL ALL IS WELL ' I kept repeating. Refusing to let the unavoidable happen.
-----
Hey! How was this chapter?
Do let me know your views by votes and comments :)